Personal Training in QLD

Personal Training in New Zealand

Why Alcohol and Muscle Growth Don't Mix*

Wednesday, 9 March 2016, By Joe Masuzzo

EMPTY CALORIES

Alcohol is empty calories. It doesn't have any nutrients but
does have a caloric value of 7 calories per gram. In just one shot
(45ml) of 40% alcohol vodka there's nearly 100 calories. For those
of you trying to lose fat, forget it if you are drinking. Not only
will the high calorie content of alcohol have a negative effect on
your total calorie intake, but it also slows down your metabolism.
In short, your body is trying so hard to digest and metabolize the
alcohol, that fat burning stops all together.

DEHYDRATION

Alcohol consumption also hurts muscle growth. Not only due to
hangovers lowering your workout intensity but it actually lowers
protein synthesis by 20%. Twenty percent! There are several reasons
why it does this. For one, it dehydrates your muscle cells. As many
know, hydrated and even over hydrated muscles (like when you take
creatine allows for a much higher anabolic environment. Because
your cells aren't holding as much water, it becomes much harder to
build muscle. The second reason why alcohol can severely hurt
muscle growth is because it blocks the absorption of many important
nutrients that are key to muscle contraction, relaxation and growth
including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium.

LOWERS TESTOSTERONE LEVELS

When highly intoxicated, testosterone levels can drop 25%.
Alcohol has also been shown to cause a quicker aromatization of
androgens into estrogens, which would explain why heavy drinkers
often get gynecomastria (man boobs) over a period of time. So
basically, the less testosterone in your body, the less muscle you
put on.

CRAVINGS FOR FATTY AND HIGH SUGARY FOODS

How many times have you decided to get that late night maccas
run or kebab on the corner on a night out?? Or that massive big
breakfast or bacon and egg roll with a hashbrown the next morning??
Also this ugly hangover will most likely make you miss that morning
cardio you were suppose to do. Am I right?